Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Cartridge ejection arrangement
The invention relates to a cartridge ejection arrangement with at least two
cartridge
extractor hooks spring-mounted to a movable breech or bolt head, said
extractor hooks
which preferably face one another (generic part of Claim 1).
Positional terms such as "up" or "vertical" which are used here refer to the
weapon in
normal position, to which the named arrangement belongs. The direction of fire
is
horizontal to the "front".
A small arm, in particular a semi-automatic weapon with a barrel and a breech,
which
when opening moves approximately along the axis of the bore (central axis of
the barrel)
from the rear end of the barrel to the rear, in all cases exhibits a cartridge
ejection
arrangement with an extractor hook and an ejector. The extractor hook
encompasses the
rim or half rim of the cartridge or engages in its bottom peripheral groove.
The ejector is
seated, with reference to the axis of the bore, somewhat opposite the hook, so
that the rim
of the cartridge bottom runs up against it. In this case the ejector is
described as being
stationary. What this means is that it is either firmly mounted to the weapon
or its casing
or that it is flexibly mounted in the breech or bolt head and at the end of
its barrel recoil
runs against a weapon-proof resistance.
The cartridge or cartridge case is ejected at a right angle to the axis of the
bore. In the
process, with reference to the axis of the bore, the extractor hook is seated
at the side
toward which the cartridge or cartridge case is ejected. The ejector is seated
on the
opposite side.
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In the case of cartridges with e.g. a rim groove, which, turned toward the
breech block
(front surface of the breech), forms a flat surface, the extractor hook is
seated snugly in
the groove with a complementary supporting surface when it is extracted. The
cartridge
or its case can therefore only be released from this hook when it is tilted.
In this way a
reliable extraction of the cartridge case is guaranteed. In the case of a
cartridge rim with a
round contour, for example with small arms cartridges and shotgun cartridges,
this
purchase is in essence only guaranteed by frictional connection. A
correspondingly
powerful spring then loads the extractor hook in order to make possible a
reliable
extraction.
Insofar as can be gathered from the figures of US-3 906 651, such a cartridge
with a
round rim contour is shown there. This cartridge is seated on the breech block
of a breech
which exhibits two extractor hooks facing one another. The invention proceeds
from this
state of the art.
It is not possible to infer from this publication the reason this extractor
arrangement has
been chosen, nor can it be inferred how the ejector should be arranged and
constructed.
The contour of the two extractor hooks is also unusual and facilitates
slipping from the
cartridge rim. Such a slipping has to be possible with one of the hooks, if it
is not
intended to be uncommonly flexibly spring-mounted.
However, a longitudinal groove in the breech can be recognized in Figure 2 of
this
publication, which is located near one of the hooks and could hold the
ejector.
The extraction of shotgun cartridges of about 12 or 10 caliber is often a
problem
particularly in the case of very long cartridge cases and in semi-automatic
weapons,
because the rapidly opening breech carries the extractor hooks along with it,
which
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for their part can then slip from the cartridge rim with round contour. Here
the double
extractor hook, which is known from the named publication, could perhaps offer
a
remedy. The double extractor hook could also be advantageous in the case of
extremely
large caitridges which can have a relatively small rim (flare, tear gas or
shotgun
cartridges of the caliber 4 (26.5 mm), grenade cartridges (4 cm) or the like).
Earlier in the case of small arms, in particular with ordnance weapons, one
assumed that
the shooter was right-handed. Left-handed shooters were trained to use the
weapon with
their right hand. Today they are making an effort to do justice to the
characteristics of the
shooter and are also setting up weapons for use by left-handed persons.
Particularly in the
case of semiautomatic weapons of the Bullpup design (the magazine is located
behind the
butt) this requires the cartridge ejector to be away from the face of the
shooter, since the
ejector is located at the height of the cheekbone.
However, also in the case of other weapons, for example aircraft machine guns
of
helicopters, the direction of ejection cannot be selected and at best should
be adapted to
the installation conditions. In the process the cartridge ejection can take
place anywhere
except toward the reloading device. For example if a cartridge gripper seated
above the
weapon is used, then the ejection can take place to the left or to the right,
or even in a
downward direction, depending on where a spent ammunition bag or chute can be
mounted.
It is the object of the invention to create an improved cartridge ejection
arrangement. In
particular at least one of the above outlined disadvantages should be at least
partially
remedied and preferably an arrangement of the initially named type should be
created,
whose ejection direction can be altered.
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To solve this task it is proposed that the initially named arrangement be
further developed
by making it possible to have at least one stationary ejector assigned to one
or more
cartridge extractor hooks in such a way that when the breech or bolt head
returns the
cartridge or cartridge case is pulled out ofa cartridge chamber jointly by all
cartridge
extractor hooks and, when released from the cartridge chamber, swivels around
the
cartridge extractor hook and in the process is ejected to the side which does
not have an
ejector assigned to it (Claim 1).
We proceed from the fact that each of the extractor hooks has only a limited
ability to
keep the cartridge or cartridge case in the chamber in which it is ejected
from. The use of
several extractor hooks moreover definitely has advantages, particularly in
the case of the
aforementioned cartridges. If now all extractor hooks with the exception of
the one on
whose side the ejection is to take place have an ejector assigned, then the
ejection can
take place in any direction with an extractor assigned to it.
Of course the number of extractor hooks is limited, and three or more hooks
will only be
practical in the case of cartridges with very great diameter. In one
embodiment of the
invention it is therefore proposed that only two cartridge extractor hooks
facing one
another and one ejector be provided (Claim 2). This is however necessary and
also
sufficient in the case of a Bullpup weapon.
If now in addition the ejector exhibits two ejector projections which are both
arranged at
one of the two cartridge ejector hooks and which run in longitudinal grooves
of the
breech or bolt head, which discharge into the breech block on both sides of
the cartridge
extractor hook (Claim 3), then an arrangement is created which
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perfectly extracts even difficult cartridges and cartridge cases and
can be retrofitted with the simplest means from right to left ejection and
vice
versa.
To be precise, only the ejector must moved be for the purpose of retrofitting.
The location
of the breech and the extractor hooks remains unchanged.
Conventional cartridge extractor hooks exhibit a hook-like end with a surface
facing the
breech block, which encompasses a cartridge rim. In accordance with a further
embodiment of the invention it is proposed that when the hook-like ends
encompass a
cartridge rim, their surfaces form an acute angle to a plane parallel to the
breech block, so
that they move away from the center of the breech block to the front (Claim
4).
Preferably this acute angle lies between 0° and 15° (Claim
5).
In contrast to the initially named US publication, in which the extractor
hooks are
constructed complementary to the contour of the cartridge rim, in the case of
the
invention preferably a flat surface is used, which is seated on the rim. Thus
cartridges of
all different kinds of design can be used, including those whose rim forms a
surface
turned away from the breech block that is parallel to it. Such a rim can be
present in the
case of cartridge cases for special cartridges, for example flare cartridges.
Such cartridge
cases are manufactured for example by means of turning on a lathe or by means
of
indirect extrusion.
The arrangement of the invention can be used for small arms of all types. It
is particularly
advantageous for large caliber cartridges. Thus it is particularly preferable
that the
arrangement be e.g. assigned to a shotgun
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(Claim 6), in particular being assigned to a repeating or a semiautomatic
shotgun. Here
the structural diversity and mutual deviation of cartridges for one and the
same caliber is
particularly great, on the other hand the need for retrofitting a weapon for
right-handed
shooters to left-handed shooters is particularly great. Such a weapon is
namely not a
personal weapon such as an automatic rifle, which can accompany a soldier
practically
throughout his entire period of service, but rather is only issued for special
operations.
Weapons with a caliber of more than 15 mm are basically not included in this
category.
An embodiment of the arrangement of the invention is explained in greater
detail with the
help of the following drawing. The figures show the following:
Figure 1 shows an oblique aerial view of a breech of a semiautomatic shotgun
that
is equipped with the arrangement of the invention,
Figure 2 shows the top view of the breech with ejector,
Figure 3 shows the view of an extractor hook and
Figure 4 shows the partial view of an ejector viewed from the front or the
rear.
Figure 1 shows a bolt head 1 which is moveable along two guide bars 3. This
breech
exhibits a breech block 5, to which one extractor hook 7 each is assigned on
both sides.
The extractor hook 7 is shown enlarged in Figure 3. It is for example stamped
out of
sheet metal and exhibits on the whole a somewhat t-shaped contour, whose
middle shaft
exhibits a bore hole 9 on the end. A rear flange 11 and a front flange 13
extend at a right
angle from the center shaft on its other end. The rear flange 11 bears
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an angular connecting piece 15 on its free end, which is intended for
engagement in a
spiral compression spring (not shown in the figure). The front flange 13 bears
the actual
hook 17 on its free end, said hook exhibiting a surface 19 turned toward the
middle shaft,
which runs at an acute angle to the extension of the middle shaft, and hence
also at an
acute angle to the breech block 5 (Figure 2). The two extractor hooks 7 are
each pivotable
around an axis, somewhat in the form of a holding pin 21, which penetrates the
bore hole
9.
The breech 1 exhibits a longitudinal crosspiece 25 on both sides, to whose
exterior side
the corresponding extractor hook 7 is mounted. The two hooks 7 are seated on
both sides
of a cartridge. An ejector 27 is seated behind the breech 1 in the region of
its barrel recoil.
This ejector is shown in break and from above. Viewed from the front or the
back, the
ejector 27 exhibits a u-shaped cross-section. When the breech 1 recoils, one
of the
longitudinal crosspieces 25 runs through the ejector 27. The two u-flanges of
this ejector
27 engage the corresponding longitudinal crosspiece 25 from above and below
and
extend with their ends to the breech block 5. The ends of these flanges are
marked 29 in
Figure 4.
Since the cartridge or cartridge case 23 is held on the breech 1 by means of
the extractor
hooks 7 and is carried along with the breech, it returns with the breech 1.
The ejector 27,
on the other hand, remains stationary during this movement of the breech. Thus
the
longitudinal crosspiece 25 moves through the two flanges of the ejector 27 to
the rear.
When the breech block 5 reaches the ejector 27, then the bottom of the
cartridge 23 runs
up to its ends 29 and is pressed against the
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(right) extractor hook 7. Due to the interaction of the round contour of the
cartridge rim
with the beveled edge 19 (Figure 3) the extractor hook 7 is pushed back, and
the ejector
27 imparts a powerful thrust to the right part of the cartridge rim, so that
the cartridge 23
swivels around the left extractor 7 and is ejected.
Moving the ejector 27 to the other (left) side of the breech similarly brings
about an
ejection to the right.
The ejector 27 can be inserted into a longitudinal groove or transverse groove
in the
weapon casing. A component of the weapon or a pin can hold the ejector in this
position.
